1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microscope in which optical images of samples such as a cell tissue and microorganism are converted to electric signals and observed as image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in a field of education, education in which computer is utilized has been advanced. This computer education is not limited simply to the learning of operation of the computer, and various types of educations in which the computer is actually used have been considered.
For example, also a science education is not limited to direct observation of cell tissues and microorganisms using a microscope, and it has been considered that an observation image is generated as an image signal and observed on the computer.
Then, as the microscope which can generate the image signal, a microscope has been developed comprising: an optical system including a linear optical axis and disposed under a stage portion on which a sample is laid; and an image pickup portion in which an image pickup device is disposed in an image forming position of the optical system. This microscope takes in an optical image of the sample laid on the stage portion by the optical system, and converts the optical image to an electric signal by the image pickup device to generate the image signal.
Since the optical system including the linear optical axis is disposed between the stage portion and image pickup device in the microscope, the microscope can be reduced in size and weight so as to obtain superior portability. Moreover, high-precision image data can be acquired. Therefore, the microscope has a characteristic that various types of educations such as the science education using the image signal can readily be realized.
Additionally, in the microscope, for the observation of more types of samples, in order to attract the interest of a large number of people, the sample on the stage portion is brought under lighting such as deflected lighting to give a clear contrast to the image data. A lighting mechanism in which various lighting modes are possible in this manner is added, and the microscope is thereby considered to contribute to fields of education such as the science education.
In the lighting mechanism in which a plurality of lighting modes are possible, a lighting head is attached to one end of an arm, and the other end of the arm is rotatably assembled/disposed in a microscope main unit. Moreover, it is considered that the other end of the arm is rotated in accordance with the lighting mode and an irradiation angle of a lighting light from the lighting head is set.
However, in the lighting mechanism, when the lighting head is simply rotatably assembled in the microscope main unit, a lighting position for irradiating the sample on the sample laying surface of the stage portion changes, and it disadvantageously becomes difficult to realize a desired lighting mode such as deflected lighting.